Final Thoughts #6

My internship has officially ended. I can’t believe how quickly time has passed. This has been one of the most memorable and influential summers I have had. I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet so many kind and interesting people, work at such an amazing company and learn more about science, industry and myself.

Working in industry especially was such a valuable experience because I got exposure to things I have never seen or would be able to see unless I was working in industry. Additionally, I learned how important industry is for the field of science as a whole. One thing I noticed is how impressive and forward industry is in advancing science. A main reason for this is the lack of limitations when it comes to resources that industry has. Because there isn’t a financial concern, there is so much equipment available to the scientists so people are not limited for space and time on an instrument. This allows the scientists to get far more done and more efficiently. Additionally, a lot of the time-intensive things can be automated so there is less man-power and time needed for those things, bringing forth more data and results on a faster timeline. In academia, the cost of these instruments and automation would be absurdly high and unattainable. Industry is also constantly tackled with challenges and qualifiers when coming up with a process, such as a timeline, step count, what types of steps are used, etc. Finding the best process or route thus requires innovative thought and typically new and interesting science. Seeing some of the science going on was amazing because some of it was incredibly impressive and unique. I also realized how important industry is for academia and vice versa. Industry is so valuable for academia because it is an outlet for the research to be applicable and relevant. I had always known that industry relevant research was important but I came to appreciate that more. I still am not sure whether I want to pursue a future in industry or academia. Previously, I would have said academia but I am now less sure and I do see the appeals of industry. No matter what, I still want to acknowledge and stay closely connected to industry even if I go into academia. I think collaborations between academia and industry are highly valuable.